Behavioral modification

Behavioral modification aims to improve behavioral adaptability and interpersonal relationships. In order to establish the historical context, advancements, processes, and principles of behavioral modification, extensive research is required. Real-world behavioral modification experiences provide a solid foundation for understanding the effects of behavioral change. States all over the world establish military units to defend their countries from all sorts of hostile attack. The use of behavioral modification in the military is an essential component in the formation of a competent army. The impact of military personnel stemming from extinction, punishment and reinforcement behavioral modification principles is evident. The paper establishes the impacts of behavioral modification in military based on the nature and form of implementation of behavioral modification by m military units.

The Use of Behavioral Modification in the military

Introduction

Internal and external stimuli within the human elicit varying responses from different individuals. Human behavior has been a centre of debate with a range of research and statistics striving to understand human behavior. Human behavior in its definition refers to the how groups of people or individuals respond to external and internal stimuli. The collection of observable emotions as well as physical actions associated with humanity. The diverse nature of humanity and human activities mandates that human beings elicit some stipulated behaviors to attain given goals. Due to the need to portray given behavior in some given circumstances, behavioral modification becomes a necessary element in human life. The scientific field has been busy with different scientists and scholars seeking to come up with theoretical explanations of human behavior and behavioral modification. Behavioral modification refers to the administration and confinement of human behavioral change to the observable physical actions and emotions. Various organizations and institutions including government’s, military units, businesses and learning institutions are utilizing behavioral modification to ensure that human personnel at their disposal exhibit certain desired behavioral traits. Organizational and institutions are driven by set goals and a set of values that ensures that sustainability, growth and success is attained. Nations across the globe have a mandate to protect its citizens against external aggression. The need to preserve sovereignty and deter internal uprising and external aggression requires countries to establish strong military units. However, the individuals serving in the military are subject to behavioral exposures during their line of duty. The nature of recruitment, training, deployment and organizational structure exposes most military personnel to behavioral distress which always calls for diligent handling. Military men and women are exposed to behavioral modification with an aim of producing bold and competent soldiers to operate in any given environment. The impacts of behavioral modification in the military are evident in the somewhat dysfunctional private and public behavior adopted by a majority of people exposed to military.

Discussion

Behavioral modification encompasses a series of procedures and principles. The end result of a behavioral modification is to enhance human adaptive behavior on different contexts by the use of behavioral reinforcements. Maladaptive behavior creates incompetence and incompatibility in professional and personal points of human interactions. The concept of behavioral modification took shape in 1950s and become a predominant human behavior feature in the 1970s and 1980s. The research and increased information on human behavioral modification came as an important tool for industry drivers who required a valid ideology to enhance behavior at the places of operation (LEVIS, 2017). As early as 1911, Edward Thorndike appeared to feature the concept of behavioral modification in one of his articles where he talks of ‘modifying behavior.’ Research by Joseph Wolpe group used the concept of behavioral modification in their experiments on human clinical psychology. Joseph Wolpe research empirical research group sought to find means of enhancing human behavior by increasing adaptive behavior and curbing maladaptive behavior through the use of reinforcement, punishment and extinction. In the contemporary society and research fields, the concept of applied human behavior analysis is taking centre stage. Applied behavioral analysis targets specific human behavioral elements in behavioral modification and the treatment of various behavioral disorders affecting humanity. Military units across the world are advancing in terms of technological use and human treatment. The need to improve on military operations and reduce the behavioral exposures resulting from military training and work has driven military management to focus on research-based behavioral modification.

Behavioral modification extracts its basis on conditioning. Conditioning allows an individual to learn given behaviors at the exposure to certain internal and external stimuli. B. F. Skinner and John Watson came up with the operant conditioning and classical conditioning theories respectively. The provisions and the arguments in the Watson and Skinner theories formed a basis for subsequent researchers on human behavior. The military utilizes the operant and classical conditioning in modifying the behavior of military personnel. The use of military training and rewards which include promotions in the military helps in modifying behavior. As far as military behavior is concerned, several factors come into play. Family support, marital satisfaction, and deployment resilience greatly impact on the behavior of military personnel (Poole, 2017). Military has a precise set of operation that centre on mission execution and country defense. However, controversy builds up on how military missions are achieved. Family violence, substance abuse, suicidal behaviors mark the daily lives of many active military personnel (Sher, & Vilens, 2009). While the allegiance to a country’s constitution by the military men and women goes unquestioned, the personal relationships emanating from military behavioral modification is always defined as poor. The military units are always defined as philosophically conservative. The definition of roles and the chain of commands leave a small chance of free will. The shortcomings in the behavioral management of military personnel infiltrate and affect the societies at large.

Living with a person exposed to the military behavioral modification provides a platform towards understanding the impact of behavioral principles and processes. My husband was in the military for eight years. The concept on the whole family serving in the military becomes more relevant when one of a family member serves in the military and the whole family has to deal with the impacts of military activities. The behavioral change, worries during missions and the family support my husband needed while serving rendered the whole family to be serving in the military. The mental health outcomes of military behavioral modifications have a spill-over effect from the person in the military to the family (Smith, 2017). The confidentiality clause as provided in the military code of conduct converts the once open and liberal people into introverts who keep everything to themselves. There is a dire need to embark on behavioral management programs to monitor and ensure that the impacts from military behavioral modification are contained within military set up. The vast time soldiers spend while away from their families have an effect of creating social disjunction. Most military personnel hide in substance abuse to shift away from reality. Human suffering, death and danger experienced during military missions creates trauma leading to suicidal tendencies and family violence as experienced from former and active military personnel. The latest church shooting in Texas, United States of America that claimed the lives of 26 people served in the United States of America air force. Devin Patrick Kelley served in the use military between the year 2010 and 2014. The Texas Church shooting incident is an indication of the height of emotional and behavioral dysfunction resulting from military exposure (The Guardian, 2017).

Behavior can be measured in that the various elements of behavior can be subjected to recording and in-depth analysis and the results represented in measurable terms. The frequency, duration, intensity and latency of the behavioral aspects of an individual before, during and after serving in military can be analyzed. Behavior is an element that is subject to observation and description. The ability to observe and describe behavior over time allows people embarking on behavioral modification to monitor the progress in behavioral modification (Robbins, & Judge, 2017). The impact of behavioral modification leading to the effects of behavior on family is vested on the fact that behavior impacts its environment. There is a functional relationship between environmental events and behavior. The behavior exhibited by military is as a result of the environmental events that characterize military missions. While behavior is lawful, the activities surrounding a behavior can elicit undesired behavioral responses that lead to substance abuse and violence.

Behavioral modification is characterized by a clear and precise process with set objectives. Behavioral modification is based on a focus on human behavior, consideration of prevailing environmental occurrences, procedures, implementation, measurement and causes of behavior. Besides military units, behavioral modification is applicable in mental illness treatment, behavioral disabilities, special education, rehabilitation, community psychology, child behavior management, clinical psychology, and sports performance. Successful behavioral modification requires that the concerned parties identify behavior and subject the behavior to monitoring and control upon the implementation of the modification process. Professionalism is a key factor in the process of behavioral modification. Researchers in most instances ignore the manner in which a certain behavior was acquired and rather focus on the process of changing the given behavior. The techniques of accomplishing behavioral modification include reinforcements, punishment, flooding, aversion, extinction and systematic desensitization. The relevance and significance of behavioral modification techniques are preceded by the nature of behavior and the prevailing circumstances surrounding the behavior. Behavior emanates from a presentation of certain stimuli (Deutsch, et al, 2017).

Principles of Behavioral Modification

Reinforcement is a basic principle of behavioral modification. Scientific research over decades has embarked on practical experiments to establish the impact, applicability and relevance of reinforcement in behavioral modification. The principle of reinforcement is based on the argument that behavior results from perceived consequences from actions or emotions expressed in a given scenario. Reinforcement therefore, involves the process where behavior is enhanced by the immediate repercussions that follow the occurrence of a given behavior. The principle of reinforcement is appropriate only in selected circumstances. There is need for behavioral scientists and the various stakeholders implementing behavioral modification to understand the difference between positive and negative reinforcements as well as between conditioned and unconditioned reinforces. Factors determining effectiveness, rate of behavior and intermittent schedules of behavioral reinforcement take centre stage in the use of reinforcement in behavioral modification. Thorndike was the earliest scientist to demonstrate reinforcement in behavioral modification. Thorndike in 1911 justified his notion on law of effect by using a cat in an experiment. A cat kept in a cage learnt how to hit a lever every time food was put outside the cage. The cat’s behavior which was hitting the cage was reinforced by the consequence of getting the food. B. F. Skinner in his subsequent experiments on animals proved that behavior was a factor of reinforcement. Skinner used a mouse and a pigeon in control rooms that had food pellets dropping whenever the animal pressed a lever. After numerous attempts of trial, the animals could learn that by pressing the lever, food would drop. The experiments of Skinner and Thorndike proved the principle of reinforcement in that, when a behavior is succeeded by a positive outcome, there is a tendency for the behavior to be repeated in similar circumstances in the future. In 1991, scientists Mayer and Sulzer-Azaroff when on to reiterate that reinforcement could also occur naturally from daily undertakings or from programs aimed at modifying behavior. However, there are different types of reinforcements. A positive reinforcement occurs when a behavior is succeeded by an upsurge in the given stimulus thus leading to the strengthening of behavior. On the other hand, negative reinforcement occurs when behavior is followed by the withdrawal of a stimulus thus also strengthening the behavior (Miltenberger, 2016).

Several factors influence the effectiveness behavioral reinforcement. Motivating operations, immediacy, individual differences, consistency and magnitude of behavioral reinforcements affect the effectiveness of reinforcement. At any given level, the reinforcement of a behavior should be immediate. The occurrence of a behavior and the lapse of the consequences should be within a short timeframe in order to create a connection between them and thus enhance behavioral modification (Kaplan, et al, 2016). The link between the occurrence of a behavior and its consequence should be consistent. Consistency provides a ground that asserts the given behavior. Inconsistency creates a disjunction between a behavior and its consequence thus weakening reinforcement. Individual differences also affect the impact of a behavioral reinforcement (Miltenberger, 2016). The level of tolerance, perception and meaning attached to a given reinforcement by various individuals affect the effectiveness of reinforcement. Also, the intensity of reinforcement affect effectiveness in that, high magnitude reinforcement is likely to have greater impact in behavioral modification. Scheduling also of a reinforcement should be timely to ensure that the relevance of the given modification process is maintained.

Extinction is another principle of behavioral modification. Extinction focuses on operant behavior. From the scientific view, operant behavior refers to the behavior acquired through reinforcement. The behavioral modification as enshrined in the extinction principle follows distinct steps. In behavioral extinction, a behavior that had previously led to a consequence no longer attracts the reinforcement it used to elicit and thus the behavior ceases from occurring in the future. Extinction is based on the argument that as far as behavior is reinforced, the given behavior will continue occurring. In the case of extinction either a positive or negative reinforcement is withdrawn from a given behavior thus leading to the absconding of the behavior. Consequences either positive or negative elicit behavior, lack of consequences renders a behavior irrelevant leading to its imminent extinction. Skinner demonstrated extinction by withdrawing the reinforcements in his laboratory animals. The pigeon upon realizing that no food came from the chamber any longer stopped pecking the key. The rat also stopped hitting the lever when food pellets stopped dropping. Extinction according to scientist Williams in 1959 expressed the use of extinction in curbing undesired behaviors in human. William used an example of a child who elicited night tantrums. By the parent paying no attention to the child’s tantrums, the behavior was no longer reinforced and the child stopped engaging in night tantrums (Miltenberger, 2016). Extinction burst occur when reinforcement is withdrawn and thus the behavior increase in duration, frequency and intensity before finally coming to an end. Spontaneous recovery in the extinction during behavioral modification occurs when a behavior that had extinct occur again. Spontaneous recovery occurs when a person is exposed to situations that used to spur given behavior end reinforcement.

Certain factors affect the extinction process in behavioral modification. Factors affecting the extinction process include the reinforcement schedule prior to the extinction and the emergence of reinforcement after behavior extinction. Continuous and intermittent reinforcement schedules affect the manner in which behavior will extinct. In the case of intermittent schedule, the extinction process will take more time due to resistance. Behavior will persist in the hope of re-emergence of reinforcement. Continuous reinforcement schedule elicits instant extinction due to reduced resistance. The re-occurrence of reinforcement during the extinction process stretched the time it takes for a behavior to extinct. It is therefore prudent to avoid re-occurrence of reinforcement as it amounts to intermittent reinforcement.

Punishment is another principle of behavioral modification. Just like extinction, punishment sorts to weaken operant behavior. Punishment involves a process where a given behavior is expressed and an immediate consequence occur which cause the behavior not to be expressed again in the future. However, several controversies surround the use of punishment in behavioral modification. Misconception about punishment is apparent in the manner in which scientists and ordinary people define punishment. Scientific definition of punishment refers to a case where the occurrence of a behavior in the future is reduced by producing certain consequences. Societal definition of punishment contains ethical and moral connotations. The society views punishment as a set of processes meted at wrong doers to inflict pain for their transgressions. Activists and behavioral modification critics have argued that punishment as a form of changing behavior is dangerous and wrong. Punishment occurs in two forms with all aimed at reducing the occurrence of a behavior in the future. Positive punishment occurs when a behavior is adopted and a discouraging stimulus is followed resulting in less likelihood of the occurrence of the behavior in the future. Negative punishment is the process where a behavior occurs and is then succeeded by the withdrawal of a reinforcing/encouraging stimulus thus averting the likelihood of the occurrence of the behavior in the future. Just like other principles of behavioral modification, punishment is affected by several factors. The punishment should be immediate, consistent, individual based and of high magnitude. Punishment as a form of behavioral modification is marked with a range of disadvantages. The use of punishment can result in aggression, bitterness and urge for vengeance. Also, punishment can lead to avoidance or escape behaviors. Punishment is negatively reinforcing and associated with acceptability and ethical issues as a form of behavioral modification (Martin, & Pear, 2015).

The use of behavioral modification principles is practical in the real life. Parents, schools, religious institutions, correctional facilities and business organizations utilize reinforcement, extinction and punishment. The appropriateness of any given behavioral modification principle depends on the institutional structure and objectives and individual characteristics. While punishment is more relevant in averting criminal activities, reinforcement is quite appropriate in the business world. Extinction on the other hand is more appropriate in the socialization process. Children need to grow up in a harmonious environment that does not lead to modeling or subjected to processes that can elicit aggression (Meichenbaum, 2014). Criminal justice system aims at deterring and punishing crime committed by various individuals. The aim of incarceration in the justice system is to make individuals pay for the atrocities they committed. Jail is meant to correct people of criminal minds. However, instances of recidivism are quite rampant thus putting into question the use of jail punishment in behavioral modification.

In the military, the use of behavioral modification principles is practical as it is in other fields. The use of punishments, reinforcements and extinction is seen where military personnel are rewarded through job leave, promotions, salary increments and honorary awards for exemplary performances. Extinction in the military is seen where certain reinforcements including promotions are withdrawn as a form of modifying certain behavioral traits. While punishment is highly contested by many people, use of punishment in the military is quite common. We have seen military men and women denied the privilege of annual leaves or the duration slashed as a form of punishment. The outcomes of punishment as portrayed by researchers are not desirable. The training of military personnel is subject to a lot of punishments where recruits failing in military drills are punished (United States, 2017). Aggression resulting from punishment is seen in domestic violence and withdrawal tendencies expressed by military personnel. My husband manifested tendencies of aggression and isolation. My husband could become aggressive at the face of the slighted agitation. The manifest of extinction as a form of behavioral modification was also real in my family. The change in the behavior of my husband that made him repulsive pushed our children away from him. The usual soft and loving husband and father turned into a more silent and unwelcoming man. The love was withdrawn from the family thus impacting the cohesiveness in the family.

Conclusion

Behavioral modification is aimed at improving the human relations, productivity and adaptability humanity. The research and the modeling of behavioral modification models are based on evidence. However, the outcomes of the behavioral modification despite various advantages have side effects. In the military, behavioral modification is a paramount element owing to the nature of military activities and formations. The need to produce bold and highly competent soldiers calls for high behavioral adaptability of military personnel. Research indicates adverse side effects of military behavioral modification affecting individuals and families in the military set up. The use of various behavioral modification models prove relevance to confined areas. The high use of punishment in military training and daily operations aimed at maintaining the discipline nature of military forces is the root cause of unstable emotional and mental status of many military men and women. The first hand experience with military personnel allows for a clear understanding of the impacts of behavioral modification. The tenet that behavior can be learnt is evident from the research on behavioral modification affecting both humans and animals. The ability to unlearn behavior should form a ground to rehabilitate military personnel who have fell victim of adverse behavioral modification. The training programs in the military units should adopt a more tolerant system to eradicate adverse behavioral impacts that has seen families fall into violence, substance abuse and lack of intimacy.

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